Auto-rickshaw drivers take 'respect for women' message to Delhi's streets

Reuters New Delhi, November 12, 2014Delhi auto-rickshaw driver Narotan Singh was never interested in the problems faced by women and girls - his only interaction with the opposite sex was with females from his middle-class family such as his mother, wife and daughter.Weaving through the streets of the Capital, the 37-year-old driver would often frown or stare through his rear view mirror at female passengers wearing tight-fitting jeans or skirts, or make a comment about how they should not smoke or be out at late.But Singh's chauvinistic ways are now behind him.Last month, his attitude to women was transformed by a class on gender sensitisation run by the charity Manas Foundation and Delhi's Transport Department."When I was told that we have to do this training, I was not happy as I thought it was an unnecessary waste of my time - time which I could use to make some money by picking up passengers," said Singh from the driver's seat of his green and yellow motorised three-wheeler."But when I went into the training and understood the problems faced by women on Delhi's streets and that I had the ability to change this, I realised that this is something that everyone should know about."Singh is one of 40,000 auto-rickshaw drivers in Delhi who have already attended the classes and are helping to spread the message of respect for women across the city, which has become known as India's "rape capital".According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of reported rapes in India rose by 35.2% to 33,707 in 2013. Delhi was the city with the highest number of rapes, reporting 1,441 in 2013.DELHI'S GATEKEEPERSExperts say the media attention surrounding the fatal gangrape of a 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi in December 2012 helped to raise awareness about safety for women on transport and in public places.The attack, which prompted thousands of Indians to protest against rising violence against women, also highlighted the need to change the attitudes of men and boys in a largely conservative and patriarchal society."We show the city's shocking statistics on rape and then provide anecdotes and pictures to drive home the point of how serious the situation is," said Smita Tewari Pant, a trainer on the gender sensitisation from the Manas Foundation."We also explain that... businesses will be affected as tourists will stop coming to Delhi if violence against women continues as it is."But what has been most effective in engaging participants, said Pant, is the message that auto-rickshaw drivers are, in essence, the city's gate-keepers who have the power to change the situation by making women feel secure and respected.The message allows drivers to feel that they are not part of the problem, but part of the solution, she added.

DON'T JUDGE WOMENTo secure their annual auto-rickshaw fitness certificate from the Transport Department, Delhi's 120,000 drivers are now required to attend the one-hour gender class every year.Pant said the course had received a positive response and drivers proudly displayed stickers reading "This responsible rickshaw respects and protects women" in Hindi and English on their vehicles.Singh said the course had changed his thinking so much so that he now talks to other drivers, as well as his friends and family, about gender equality.The training should be expanded to taxi and bus drivers, he said, adding that if this kind of sensitisation had started five years ago, the infamous Delhi gangrape may not have occurred."After the training, I realise working women's problems much better. They face many issues - they have to manage their home life and they have to deal with pressures at work, so they should at least feel comfortable when they commute," said Singh."The training made me and other drivers think twice about our behaviour towards our female passengers."We used to think 'I only had a little look at what she was wearing' or 'I only made that comment for her own good' but now we realise that it's really none of our business and we should not judge women, but respect them."

13 Nov 14DNA(Online)

Making 'safe spaces' for women in Delhi NCRManas, supported by the Ford Foundation is a New Delhi-based mental health intervention initiative providing psychological support to victims of sexual abuse as per the guidelines from the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights

Ashoka Fellow, Monica Kumar, is Managing Trustee and Clinical Psychologist at Manas. Her main area of work is youth and women. Iamin correspondent interacted with her at the 2nd Men Engage Global Symposium on issues of women’s safety, altering male and female stereotypes and faulty parenting leading to a more aggressive society.What are the aims and objectives of Manas?Manas is a mental health organisation working in Delhi NCR for almost 15 years. During the journey of mental health in India, we started working with women’s groups with a positive psychological approach where we plug in mental health interventions with other critical interventions. We realized that there was a gap between mental health and gender justice in Indian society and we wanted to bridge that gap. Our aim is to look at positive aspects of resilience and coping abilities within the people as resources. Mental health needs are everybody’s needs and we should be able to address them across marginalized and other sectors.Do you also engage with men to spread awareness about gender justice and equality?Our efforts are predominantly centered around youth, women empowerment and related issues but that does not mean that we don’t work with men. Rather, our work also is to engage with men. We believe that if violence has to end then the formation of childhood processes and patriarchy needs to be looked into. We work with the perpetrator of gender inequality, schools, and colleges and most importantly, auto drivers in Delhi, which is a large standalone community and it is a relatable image of Delhi. If we want to make Delhi a safe city for women, we need to work with this urban task force and want them to take the efforts forward.Have you encountered resistance from within the civil society and how have you tackled it?Yes, there is resistance because many of them don’t know what violence is. Violence is not linear, it comes from within the system it comes from the society, broken families, single parenting and genetics—genes are also responsible for the way you behave. In mental health studies we address problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anger management issues, etc. These are internal and are governed by the brain. The mind, brain and relationships must co-exist. If you preach them, there is a definite resistance. But if you have a dialogue about their own-self, then resistance is lesser. It also depends on where they are coming from. If they are brought in forcefully, then there is more resistance. But, if they volunteer to come in and learn then they are already sensitised to some extent.Why have you chosen auto-wallahs in Delhi?Among the auto drivers, there are groups where one person can influence the entire group. So, the chance of the group reacting to our campaign is higher. We also work with other communities where drug abuse is prevalent, where girl drop-out rates are higher.

In recent times, there has been a role-reversal of aggression where women have become more violent towards men.It is an age of entitlements, we are more aware of our rights and there has been years of suppression on women. When you are voicing your concerns, there are certain boundaries you need to maintain. This is a stage where we are all churning. Sometimes you have extreme behaviours, they may be long lasting. Our focus should be more on how we raise our children. If we focus on good parenting, then it doesn’t matter who is more aggressive a man or a woman, it is more individualistic.

Gender inequality is not just in marginalized societies, it also exists in the privileged society. We have had instances where women have suffered years of abuse since childhood. And you continuously deal with it until your children point it out and try to stop it. Moreover, most men who are violent will have some kind of morbidity, whether it is in their personality, drugs or they have faced emotional neglect, bad parenting, etc. It is particularly saddening in the upper class because one has to live up to a social image and even to seek counselling, you have to break many barriers.Which programmes are currently being undertaken by Manas in Delhi?Post December 16, Delhi was an unsafe city and it became much worse. We thought about ways we could engage men to make them stakeholders in making a city safer for women. Therefore, we identified auto-wallahs, a standalone community in Delhi since that’s one space a woman also shares. Travelling in an auto can be very intimidating if it has been a negative experience.We approached the government, which led a mandatory policy change – they made it compulsory to have gender-sensitisation training before their fitness. Each auto-wallah has to go through this. Therefore, about 1 lakh autos got training from us. We have branded the autos as ‘safe-spaces’ with stickers, which make the women feel safe and start a dialogue with passengers that leads to the formation of a positive bond. We have also started a ‘Spot the Auto’ campaign on Facebook, which has received a positive response. We also have an Auto Sahara Helpline: 011 41708517/9716000215. This is where auto guys can also call us in case of any emergency situation.

Delhi rickshaw driver Narotan Singh was never interested in the problems faced by women and girls - his only interaction with the opposite sex was with females from his middle-class family such as his mother, wife and daughter. Weaving through the streets of the Indian capital, the 37-year-old driver would often frown or stare through his rear view mirror at female passengers wearing tight-fitting jeans or skirts, or make a comment about how they should not smoke or be out at late. But Singh's chauvinistic ways are now behind him. Last month his attitude to women was transformed by a class on gender sensitisation run by the charity Manas Foundation and Delhi's Transport Department."When I was told that we have to do this training, I was not happy as I thought it was an unnecessary waste of my time - time which I could use to make some money by picking up passengers," said Singh from the driver's seat of his green and yellow motorised three-wheeler. "But when I went into the training and understood the problems faced by women on Delhi's streets and that I had the ability to change this, I realised that this is something that everyone should know about."Singh is one of 40,000 auto-rickshaw drivers in Delhi who have already attended the classes and are helping to spread the message of respect for women across the city, which has become known as India's "rape capital". According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of reported rapes in India rose by 35.2% to 33,707 in 2013. Delhi was the city with the highest number of rapes, reporting 1,441 in 2013.Delhi's GatekeepersExperts say the media attention surrounding the fatal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi in December 2012 helped to raise awareness about safety for women on transport and in public places. The attack, which prompted thousands of urban Indians to protest against rising violence against women, also highlighted the need to change the attitudes of men and boys in India's largely conservative and patriarchal society. "We show the city's shocking statistics on rape and then provide anecdotes and pictures to drive home the point of how serious the situation is," said Smita Tewari Pant, a trainer on the gender sensitisation from the Manas Foundation. "We also explain that ... businesses will be affected as tourists will stop coming to Delhi if violence against women continues as it is."But what has been most effective in engaging participants, said Pant, is the message that auto-rickshaw drivers are, in essence, the city's gate-keepers who have the power to change the situation by making women feel secure and respected. The message allows drivers to feel that they are not part of the problem, but part of the solution, she added.Don't Judge WomenTo secure their annual auto-rickshaw fitness certificate from the Transport Department, Delhi's 120,000 drivers are now required to attend the one-hour gender class every year. Pant said the course had received a positive response and drivers proudly displayed stickers reading "This responsible rickshaw respects and protects women" in Hindi on their vehicles.Singh said the course had changed his thinking so much so that he now talks to other drivers, as well as his friends and family, about gender equality. The training should be expanded to taxi and bus drivers, he said, adding that if this kind of sensitisation had started five years ago, the infamous Delhi gang rape may not have occurred. "After the training, I realise working women's problems much better. They face many issues - they have to manage their home life and they have to deal with pressures at work so they should at least feel comfortable when they commute," said Singh. "The training made me and other drivers think twice about our behaviour towards our female passengers. "We used to think 'I only had a little look at what she was wearing' or 'I only made that comment for her own good' but now we realise that it's really none of our business and we should not judge women, but respect them."

Is engaging men crucial on issues of violence against women?Anubha Bhonsle, CNN-IBN | Nov 11, 2014 at 09:59pm

A study done by the United Nations has produced some alarming results. Six out of 10 Indian men have admitted to having perpetrated violence against their wives or partners.

12 Nov 14The Hindustan Times

A majority of Indian men believe that domestic violence is all right. This is a slap in the face for women’s rightsHell is a place called home for millions of Indian women who face domestic violence at the hands of their partners or husbands. This has been borne out by a recent study released by the United Nations Population Fund and the Washington-based International Centre for Research on Women which reveals that six out of 10 men in India have acted violently against their wives or partners at some point of time. Those facing economic deprivation are more likely to perpetrate violence against women. Worse, the idea of domestic violence is so ingrained that one in two men believes that a woman must endure domestic violence to keep her family together.That women are not safe at home despite being legally protected under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act clearly suggests that we have failed women as a society. Domestic violence is a serious problem around the world but in India discrimination and violence against women start even before birth. From blithe acceptance that domestic violence is a ‘family’ or ‘private matter’ and the marriage must saved just for the sake of it to blaming catalysts like alcohol, our cultural attitudes and the system are weighted against women. Why domestic violence is called ‘the most pervasive yet least recognised human rights abuse in the world’ is clear from a Karnataka high court judge’s callous observation during a hearing in a domestic violence case that “it was all right for a husband to beat up his wife as long he was taking good care of her”.One cannot emphasise enough the need to change society’s mindset towards women and their rights, but there’s an urgent need to put in place a zero tolerance policy towards domestic violence. The change should start from our police stations, which are the first port of call when a person is in peril. For a woman, it takes a lot of courage to report violence to the police. And if the police do not take action, she’s is forced to return to the house where she co-habits with the abuser. And our judges should not let their patriarchal and moralistic personal beliefs cloud their judgment. Domestic violence hinders not just gender equality but also denies a woman the dignity she deserves. To continue to tolerate this abuse is a slap in the face of civilised society, not just of women.

http://www.trust.org/item/20141111163204-ere80Botswana targets police, prisons and army to battle gender inequalityThomson Reuters Foundation - Tue, 11 Nov 2014NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Botswana is targeting men in the police services, armed forces and prisons in a campaign to tackle violence against women, a government official said on Tuesday.Men Sector, a state-run organisation set up in 2000 to educate men about HIV/AIDS, has broadened its scope to combat alcohol and substance abuse, teenage pregnancies and domestic violence."When we started it was just to get men involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but then we found that there were many other interlinked social problems which we could use the same platform to engage with men on," Budani Madandume of Men Sector told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.More than two thirds of women in Botswana have experienced some form of gender violence, including violence at the hands of a partner, according to a 2012 study by the U.N. World Population Fund (UNFPA).Madandume said Men Sector worked with the army, police and prisoners, bringing men together in traditional gatherings known as "Pitso ya Borre", where they are encouraged to discuss their personal problems, rare in Botswana's patriarchal society.Issues such as financial problems, lack of employment opportunities and family pressures are often broached first. But over time, the men become more confident to talk about personal challenges such as relationships, child custody issues and sexual health."I think just by having this dialogue with men is beginning to make a difference," Madandume said on the sidelines of the MenEngage Conference in Delhi, which brings together organisations to discuss how to engage men in the struggle for gender equality."Men often feel they are left out of the conversation and this helps them to understand how they should view their partners, their daughters and mothers in a non-stereotypical role."(Reporting by Nita Bhalla; Editing by Ros Russell)

By Nita BhallaNEW DELHI, Nov 11 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Patriarchy and pressure on men to conform to ideals of aggressive masculinity not only contribute to the abuse of women and girls, but also hurt men and boys, a gender rights activist said Tuesday.Gary Barker, international director of the charity Promundo, said the pressures of living up to the view of men as providers and protectors with no vulnerabilities were leading to violent behaviour and even suicide in men."I think we need to be brave enough to talk about things that ail men. Men's vulnerabilities affect men, but they also affect women," Barker told the MenEngage Global Symposium, a four-day conference to involve men and boys in gender equality."Top of the list of pressures is that men have to be providers for their families," he said."Such economic stress, we find, is associated with violence against partners, against children and violence against themselves such as drinking, substance abuse, reckless driving or suicide."Barker, whose charity has been working with men and boys in the favelas, or slums, of Brazil's Rio de Janeiro for almost 20 years, said a recent report on global suicide rates indicated that men often kill themselves because they have no outlet to express their problems.More than 800,000 people annually commit suicide. Two-thirds of them are men and three-fourths are from poor or middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a September report.From an early age, boys and men are expected to act like "real men", encouraging attitudes and behaviours that are passed down from generation to generation and promote gender inequality, Barker said.For example, men who were physically or sexually abused as children, or who witnessed violence towards women and girls in their families, were likely to do the same as adults.Men who witnessed violence as children are two-and-a-half to three times more likely to be violent later on in life, Barker said. Those involved in fights or those who are victims of multiple forms of violence are about two times more likely to use violence against a partner."I am not making excuses for men, but if you care about ending violence against women and girls, you have to care about the violence that is happening on the bodies of men and boys."(Reporting by Nita Bhalla; Editing by Maria Caspani)

Gender equality comes when men cede control of power and allow women to do what they want to do, take their own decisions and exercise power, Bollywood actor and activist Rahul Bose said tonight.

"I believe it's not enough for men to engage, men have to engage in the right way to achieve gender equality," Bose said here at the inaugural event of MenEngage global symposium 2014.

The actor, who is a prominent face in advocating gender equality and who has in the past been vocal about rejecting the notions of power and patriarchy is one of the ambassadors of the global event that is sponsored by the United Nations.

"Gender equality is not about men protecting women. It is not about allowing women that they want to do. It's not about taking decisions that are sensitive.

"It about understanding that women will take their own decisions, will exercise either own power and would do as they wish. For that men have to do something which is right now not in their DNA which is to cede control, just let it go," Bose said.

Inaugurating the symposium UN Women Executive Director Phumsile Maimbo Ngcuka said, "it is important to engage men and boys to advance women's rights and equality."

"It is a battle that must define what we must fight, how we must fight it and who we must fight with together and not separately.. So who better to hold such an important event than in India."

Academics and practitioners are set to discuss how to engage men and boys for healthier, safer women.

The event also saw participants talking about the 'HeforShe' campaign, a global campaign which was officially launched on the September 20 at the UN General Assembly.

Study highlights role of family, education, economic status in men’s behaviour Men who experience economic stress were more likely to have perpetrated violence, finds study Ashwaq Masoodi

​New Delhi: Men who are economically better-off, educated and have grown up in families where both parents made decisions jointly are less likely to be violent or have a preference for sons, a study released on Monday said. “Education and economic status may provide men more positive exposure, and there may be less pressure to conform to societal expectations and behave in a certain way,” said the study, titled Masculinity, Intimate Partner Violence and Son Preference in India, and released by the United Nations Population Fund and the International Center for Research on Women.

Men who were raised in families where parents shared decision-making were 1.4 times more likely to be less rigid and more equitable than men who grew up in families where decisions were predominantly made by the father, the study said. Also, men who grew up in families where their fathers did not participate in household chores were half as likely to be equitable.

“Men’s observation of less gender-stratified roles in a household in their childhood has a direct bearing on the creation of positive masculinity for men,” the study states. The study also stresses on how witnessing or experiencing discrimination or harassment as a child shapes a man’s outlook.

“Men who did not witness discrimination or harassment during their childhood were nearly three times more likely than the others to be equitable and less controlling,” it states. “The study points to how we need to address the childhood experiences.

We need to change the upbringing and at the same time, create environments where lived experiences are more equitable,” says Ravi Verma, regional director of the Asia Regional Office at ICRW. The study sampled 1,500 men and 500 women each from across seven states—Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra—four of these have sex ratios lower than the national average.

The study is released at a time when the approach to attain gender equality is changing in terms of identifying the role of men as the part of the solution rather than being a problem. Research and advocacy groups have started highlighting the importance of engaging men in the process.

Since the mid-1990s, several studies have shown an association between inequitable gender attitudes among men and their likelihood of violence towards a partner.

The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo had encouraged engaging men to improve reproductive and sexual health outcomes for women. India ranked a poor 114 out of 142 countries in removing gender-based disparities in the field of education, health and equal pay for equal work, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2014 Gender Gap Index released recently.

According to the latest study, irrespective of their age, men who experience economic stress were more likely to have perpetrated violence ever or in the past 12 months. “Economic stress can threaten men’s belief in their own abilities and may lead them to be more controlling of and violent towards their partners,” it states.

“Men who were under no economic stress were 1.5 times more likely to be have equitable attitudes and behaviours than those who were either underemployed or unemployed.” Reinforcing what the National Family Health Survey in 2005-06 stated, this study points out how 52% of women surveyed reported that they have experienced some form of violence during their lifetime while 60% of men said they had acted violently against their wife or partner at some point in their lives.

Among the states surveyed, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest levels of reported violence by men against women. Three-fourth (75%) of men in Odisha and Uttar Pradesh reported perpetrating any form of violence while 84% of women in Odisha and 63% in Uttar Pradesh reported experiencing some form of violence. Reported experience of any form of violence by women is lowest in Madhya Pradesh (34%), followed by Maharashtra (37%).

Among the states, 54% of men from Uttar Pradesh expressed rigid masculinity, defined in part by controlling behaviour and highly negative gender attitudes. This was followed by Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Odisha. “The gender norms that drive this intimate partner violence include those around masculinity, where ‘being a real man’ is characterized by authority, and being a woman, or femininity, by acceptance and tolerance,” the study said.

Over one-third of men and women sampled showed a high preference for sons and discrimination against daughters. Interestingly, more women (81%) than men (76%) felt it was very important to have a son. Among states, Uttar Pradesh had the largest proportion of men and women that had strong son-preferring attitudes.

The study also shows how more than three-fourths of the men sampled expected their partners to agree if they wanted to have sex and more than half the men didn’t expect their partners to use contraceptives without their permission. One-fifth of men believed that it’s a woman’s responsibility to avoid getting pregnant, a statement with which 31% of women agreed.

Among other recommendations, the study suggests the need for revising education curricula, materials and textbooks to eliminate gender stereotypes and also incorporate knowledge on larger societal issues, including relevant laws protecting the rights of women and girls.

MEDIA COVERAGE: DAY 1 (10 November 2014)

10 Nov 14Zee News60% of Indian men admit violence against wives: UN reportIANS Last Updated: Monday, November 10, 2014 - 19:34New Delhi: Sixty percent of Indian men admit acting violently against their wife or partner at some point in their lives while 52 percent of women admit having faced some form of violence during their lifetime, says a UN report.The report, prepared jointly by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Washington-based International Center for Research on Women, was released on the opening day of the four-day "MenEngage Global Symposium" at India Habitat Centre here Monday.The study, titled "Masculinity, Intimate Partner Violence and Son Preference in India", was conducted in seven Indian states of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.It involved over 9,000 men and over 3,000 women aged 18-49."What we found is that in India, rigid forms of masculinity where men exhibit controlling behaviours and inequitable gender attitudes, strongly determines their preference of sons over daughters as well as their tendency to perpetuate violence against an intimate partner," the authors maintained.According to the report, highest cases of violence came from Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, where more than 70 percent of men admitted to being abusive towards their wives and partners.Data also suggest that men who experience economic stress were more likely to have perpetuated violence.In the case of women, physical abuse such as being kicked, slapped, choked and burned was most commonly reported. Nearly 38 percent of women said they had faced such abuse.This was followed by emotional, sexual and economic violence, respectively.The findings also strengthen the fact that childhood experiences of violence and discrimination have a strong impact on adult men and women's attitudes and behaviours with regard to masculinity and control."To eliminate intimate partner violence and son preference, it is critical that we develop national policies and programmes that promote dialogue between women and girls as well as men and boys to shift harmful gender norms that perpetuate violence and discrimination," the report emphasised."Correspondingly, where education and economic status were increasing, men were less likely to exercise control over their partners and more likely to respect equitable norms,"

Men have to be engaged the right way to achieve gender equality: Rahul Bose

DNA (online), 11 Nov 2014The MenEngage Global Symposium aims to hold discussions on eradicating gender disparities in a country leaning towards son preference and witness to rampant crime against women

“The time has come for a more caring male persona to assert itself, and for a global movement to emerge to mainstream men’s role in gender issues"

Redefining the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity, the inaugural ceremony of the second edition of MenEngage Global Symposium held in Delhi on Monday, saw delegates from across the world engaged in dialogue to provide a healthier, gender sensitive society for women.

Almost after two years of the 16 December gangrape tragedy, members such as UNFPA, UN Women, CHSH and Beijing +20, formed an MenEngage Global, an alliance together to fight gender inequality with participation of both the sexes to assert their equal identity.Shockingly, according to a recent report, India is a country where six out of ten Indian men have admitted inflicting violence against their wives or partners. Men who were discriminated as children or were reeling under financial stresses were more likely to be abusive to their wives and girls, stated a study released by the United Nations World Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Washington-based International Center for Research on Women on Monday.The report polled 9,205 men, aged 18 to 49, across seven states in India to understand their views on masculinity, partner violence and son preference. Phumzile Miambo Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women, stressed on participation from India, a country of 1.2 billion people. “Engaging men and boys is a must for advancing women’s rights and equality,” she emphasised.A prominent face advocating for gender equality, actor Rahul Bose, attended the event as the ambassador for gender rights. “I believe mere engagement of men is not enough, men have to be engaged in the right way to achieve gender equality,” highlighted Rahul adding, “Gender equality comes when men cede control of power and allow women to do what they want to do, take their own decisions and exercise power.” The activist/actor feels that it is too late to raise our voice against gender inequality and it’s time we show how to eradicate it.“With women accounting for 45 percent of the workforce and often earning 10-30 percent less than men, it is imperative that we address both men’s involvements as caregivers as well as the governments need to improve women’s economic equality by introducing or increasing paid paternity leave, subsidised child care close to the workplace and incentives to encourage men to make greater contributions to their households,” stated Oswaldo Montoya, Global Coordinator, MenEngage Global Alliance.Dr. Abhijit Das, Director, Centre for Health and Social Justice (CHSJ), the host country partner, summed up the aspiration of the 2nd Global Symposium when he said that, “The time has come for a more caring male persona to assert itself, and for a global movement to emerge which will mainstream men’s role in gender issues through specific planning and policy initiatives.”The forum will focus on ways in which men and boys can engage in changing the notions of masculinity, end violence and promote health and well-being for women. The forum will also deliberate on a number of issues ranging from Masculinities and the Making of Peace and Violence, Masculinities and the Media, Men and Masculinities in School Textbooks, Globalisation, Gender Justice and Social Movements and Fatherhood and Care-giving. Over a thousand delegates from 94 countries, including 40 from Pakistan, will be in attendance for the symposium starting November 11.

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) A man will always be the sole breadwinner of the family and the woman's rightful place is in the kitchen space - these chauvinistic stereotypes irrevocably embedded within our mindsets have created gender inequality in our social institutions. These are the issues being discussed in the capital at an ongoing global symposium.The second MenEngage Global Symposium 2014, kickstarted in the capital Monday where academicians, activists and practitioners from around the world are participating to find ways of engaging boys and men in a dialogue to reduce gender inequality in the society."We should engage men in the right way to find ways to tackle gender injustice in the society," actor Rahul Bose said."We need to redefine masculinity, and institutions should take the first step ahead to promote gender sensitisation. We should also look at ways of reaching out to the male members of the victim family....," he added.The four-day symposium that will end Nov 13, aims to consolidate and collate diverse research, create an appropriate and safe space for discussion and dialogue on complex issues related to working men.This would help in furthering work on human rights and issues and identify new strategies and approaches to strengthen work on gender and social justice, among others."We hope to ignite a global movement of solidarity of gender equality and empowerment," said Lakshmi Puri, deputy executive director of UN Women."Men continue to behave in a certain way because many women allow that and not challenge that," she added.The only way, Puri said, one can change this grim scenario is to seek how we engage men and women together to bring out this social change.This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) A man will always be the sole breadwinner of the family and the woman's rightful place is in the kitchen space - these chauvinistic stereotypes irrevocably embedded within our mindsets have created gender inequality in our social institutions. These are the issues being discussed in the capital at an ongoing global symposium.The second MenEngage Global Symposium 2014, kickstarted in the capital Monday where academicians, activists and practitioners from around the world are participating to find ways of engaging boys and men in a dialogue to reduce gender inequality in the society."We should engage men in the right way to find ways to tackle gender injustice in the society," actor Rahul Bose said."We need to redefine masculinity, and institutions should take the first step ahead to promote gender sensitisation. We should also look at ways of reaching out to the male members of the victim family....," he added.The four-day symposium that will end Nov 13, aims to consolidate and collate diverse research, create an appropriate and safe space for discussion and dialogue on complex issues related to working men.This would help in furthering work on human rights and issues and identify new strategies and approaches to strengthen work on gender and social justice, among others."We hope to ignite a global movement of solidarity of gender equality and empowerment," said Lakshmi Puri, deputy executive director of UN Women."Men continue to behave in a certain way because many women allow that and not challenge that," she added.The only way, Puri said, one can change this grim scenario is to seek how we engage men and women together to bring out this social change.This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

10 Nov 14The Hindustan Times

Six out of 10 men in India admit violence against wives: UN studyReuters New Delhi, November 10, 2014First Published: 16:46 IST(10/11/2014) | Last Updated: 16:57 IST(10/11/2014)Six out of 10 men in India admit to having perpetrated violence against their wives or partners, with men who experienced discrimination as children or faced FINANCIAL stresses more likely to be abusive, said a study released on Monday.The report, by the United Nations World Population FUND (UNFPA) and the Washington-based International Center for Research on Women, polled 9,205 men, aged 18 to 49, across seven states to understand their views on masculinity, partner violence and son preference.Violence was defined as emotional such as insults, intimidation and threats, or physical and sexual such as pushing, punching and rape. It also included economic abuse in which a man did not permit his wife or partner to work or took her earnings against her will."Many men in India act in a manner that is fairly predetermined by their gendered roles and expectations, socio-economic characteristics and childhood experiences," said the 'Masculinity, Intimate Partner Violence and Son Preference' report."Men who experience economic stress were more likely to have perpetrated violence ever or in the past 12 months. This may be because of norms related to masculinity, which reinforce the expectation that men are primary economic providers for their households."The study - across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra - found that men who had experienced discrimination as children were four times more likely to be violent towards their partners.The highest reports of violence came from Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, said the report, with more than 70% of men in these regions admitting to being abusive towards their wives and partners.More than 38% of all crimes committed against women in India in 2013 were those registered under the charge of cruelty by husband or his relatives, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).Such crimes make up the largest proportion of crimes against women in the country - with 118,866 cases of cruelty by husband or his family reported from a total of 309,546, says the NCRB.

Physical violence most commonThe study, which also polled 3,158 women, said more than half (52%) of women said they had experienced some form of violence during their lifetime.Physical abuse such as being kicked, slapped, choked and burned was the most commonly reported, with 38% of women saying they had faced such abuse. This was followed by emotional, sexual and economic violence respectively.The reason less women reported being victims than men reported being violent was a feeling of shame or fear of social stigma, said the report. They may have also believed such acts were normal in a relationship and expected men to exert some control on their lives, it added.Women who were discriminated against as children were three to six times more likely to experience violence."Women who experienced and observed discrimination or violence growing up are more likely to justify it as adults and may therefore not resist circumstances that may trigger intimate partner violence," the report said.The head of UNFPA in India, Frederika Meijer, said that this research into the causes of violence would help to structure programmes to engage men and boys more effectively."It identifies triggers that could enable them to become change agents in addressing gender discrimination," Meijer said at the launch of the report on the sidelines of the MenEngage conference aimed at getting men involved in gender equality.

10 Nov 2014The Times of India and the Strait TimesSix out of 10 Indian men admit violence against wives: UN studyReuters | Nov 10, 2014, 04.58 PM ISTThe highest reports of violence came from Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, said the report.NEW DELHI: Six out of 10 Indian men admit to having perpetrated violence against their wives or partners, with men who experienced discrimination as children or faced financial stresses more likely to be abusive, said a study released on Monday.

The report, by the United Nations World Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Washington-based International Center for Research on Women, polled 9,205 men, aged 18 to 49, across seven states in India to understand their views on masculinity, partner violence and son preference.

Violence was defined as emotional such as insults, intimidation and threats, or physical and sexual such as pushing, punching and rape. It also included economic abuse in which a man did not permit his wife or partner to work or took her earnings against her will.

"Many men in India act in a manner that is fairly predetermined by their gendered roles and expectations, socio-economic characteristics and childhood experiences," said the "Masculinity, Intimate Partner Violence and Son Preference" report.

"Men who experience economic stress were more likely to have perpetrated violence ever or in the past 12 months. This may be because of norms related to masculinity, which reinforce the expectation that men are primary economic providers for their households."

The study — across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra — found that men who had experienced discrimination as children were four times more likely to be violent towards their partners.

The highest reports of violence came from Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, said the report, with more than 70 percent of men in these regions admitting to being abusive towards their wives and partners.

More than 38 percent of all crimes committed against women in India in 2013 were those registered under the charge of cruelty by husband or his relatives, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Such crimes make up the largest proportion of crimes against women in the country - with 118,866 cases of cruelty by husband or his family reported from a total of 309,546, says the NCRB.

PHYSICAL VIOLENCE MOST COMMON

The study, which also polled 3,158 women, said more than half, 52 percent, of women said they had experienced some form of violence during their lifetime.

Physical abuse such as being kicked, slapped, choked and burned was the most commonly reported, with 38 percent of women saying they had faced such abuse. This was followed by emotional, sexual and economic violence respectively.

The reason less women reported being victims than men reported being violent was a feeling of shame or fear of social stigma, said the report. They may have also believed such acts were normal in a relationship and expected men to exert some control on their lives, it added.

Women who were discriminated against as children were three to six times more likely to experience violence.

"Women who experienced and observed discrimination or violence growing up are more likely to justify it as adults and may therefore not resist circumstances that may trigger intimate partner violence," the report said.

The head of UNFPA in India, Frederika Meijer, said that this research into the causes of violence would help to structure programmes to engage men and boys more effectively.

"It identifies triggers that could enable them to become change agents in addressing gender discrimination," Meijer said at the launch of the report on the sidelines of the MenEngage conference aimed at getting men involved in gender equality.

11 Nov 14The PioneerMind the gender gapTuesday, 11 November 2014 | Staff Reporter | New DelhiWith a spirit of collective resolve, a four-day session on engaging men and boys to ensure gender equality kickstarted in the Capital on Monday. The four-day symposium will dwell upon a host of issues ranging from gender violence to glaring disparities between genders.“In the last one year, men and women, boys and girls from a cross-section of society — from auto drivers and students to those living in clusters and far flung colonies — have come together not only to provide solidarity but to initiate a search for alternatives, deeper inner transformation within themselves and the people around,” added Amitabh Behar, executive director, National Foundation for India (NFI).Actor and activist Rahul Bose said, “Both men and women should shed all burdens of patriarchy and practice a new masculinity, which will enable men to walk with women in the quest for a more peaceful, more meaningful existence.” “The time has come for a more caring male persona to assert itself and for a global movement to emerge, which will mainstream men’s role in gender issues through specific planning and policy initiatives,” said Abhijit Das, director, Centre for Health and Social Justice.The symposium will provide a roadmap for governments, UN agencies and all other institutions and organisations on men’s role in ensuring gender equality. It comes five years after the First Global Symposium, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009.

The Asian Age6 in 10 Indian men admit violence on wives: UN studyNov 11, 2014 - SARJU KAUL ,New DelhiSix out of 10 Indian men, especially those experiencing economic stress or those who faced discrimination as children, have admitted acting violently against their wives or partners at some point of time, according to a study released here on Monday.The study, Masculinity, Intimate Partner Violence and Son Preference in India, highlights unequal balance of power between men and women in India, prevalence of intimate partner abuse, and high preference for a male child.“What we found is that in India, rigid forms of masculinity where men exhibit controlling behaviours and inequitable gender attitudes, strongly determines their preference of sons over daughters as well as their tendency to perpetuate violence against an intimate partner,” revealed the study launched at the four-day Second MenEngage Global Symposium.The research for the study was conducted in seven states Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — and involved 9,205 men and 3,158 women, aged between 18 and 49 years. Most of these states show a strong boy preference and have an adverse sex ratio at birth, ranging between 832 and 938 girls for every 1,000 boys.A staggering 75 per cent or three-fourths of men in Odisha and Uttar Pradesh admitted inflicting violence on their intimate partners, followed by 66.1 per cent in Rajasthan and 61.9 in Madhya Pradesh. The figures were much lower in Maharashtra (37 per cent) and Punjab/Haryana (43 per cent).Around two out of five men in these seven states are so rigid in their masculinity that they believe “women should neither be seen or heard.”The men characterised their masculinity by exercising control and admitted controlling to women to the extent that one in three did not allow their wives to wear clothes of their choice and 66 per cent believed that they had greater say than their wife/partner in the important decision that affect them.Seventy-five per cent expected their partners agree to sex at all times and over 50 per cent did not expect their partners to use contraceptives without permission.The study, by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Washington-headquartered International Centre for Research on Women, said only 52 per cent women said they had experienced some form of violence during their lifetime. But, according to the study, the reason was that women were reluctant to report intimate partner violence due to a feeling of shame or fear of social stigma. They may have also believed such acts were normal in a relationship and expected men to exert some control on their lives.Nearly 38 per cent women have experiences of physical abuse such as being kicked, slapped, choked and burned. This was followed by emotional, sexual and economic violence.“Central to the problem of gender-based violence in India is that Indian men and women have been socialised to believe that men’s dominance over women is normal and acts of violence against women are justified,” the study explained, adding that women were expected to be “tolerant” and “accepting.”

11 Nov 14DNA50% Indian men feel violence against women endemic to happy familyTuesday, 11 November 2014 - 6:10am IST | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNAAmrita MadhukalyaHard talk: UNFPA study shows sexual & physical aggravations predominant against Indian womenOne in two men in India believes that a woman must endure domestic violence to keep her family together, revealed a study released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Monday. The study also revealed that while 93.6% of male respondents believed that a woman should obey her husband, 76.9% of the men believed that if a wife or partner does something wrong, a man has the right to punish her.The study conducted by the UNFPA in collaboration with the International Centre for Research on Women also revealed that 52% of female respondents reported being subjected to some form of violence through their lives, while 60% of men admitted to having committed various acts of violence on women.The study was conducted with a sample size of 1,500 men and 500 women each from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. In all, 9,205 men and 3,158 women were covered in the study.51.1% of the male respondents and 57.3% of the female respondents believed that a woman should tolerate domestic violence to keep her family together. While 93.6% of the men and 91.1% of the women believed that a woman should obey her husband, 76.9% men and 78.7% women felt that if a woman's husband has the right to punish her if she does something wrong.The study was released at the MenEngage symposium, which aims to look for better participation by men in bringing about gender parity. Of the 52% of women who admitted to being victims of violence, 38% reported to be victims of physical violence, 35% admitted to being emotionally violated while 17% reported sexual violence. Of this, three-fourths of the respondents from Odisha and Uttar Pradesh (75%) admitted to perpetrating varied forms of violence.With the prevalence of rigid ideas of masculinity, 93% of men felt that 'to be a man, you need to be tough' compared to 85% women. 86.2% men and 74% women believed that the most important role of a woman is to take care of her home and cook for her family. Shockingly, 74.6% of men and 65.1% of the women believed that if a woman does not physically fight back, it is not rape.Majority of women interviewed (62%) said 'yes' when asked if a man should 'expect wife/partner to agree when they (men) want to have sex' and that the 'husbands/partners don't approve wife/partner suggesting the use of condoms'. 77% women also said that their partners expected them to agree when they wanted sex. 54% of the women also said that if they asked their partners to use a condom, their partners would get angry.The findings show that childhood experiences of discrimination have a strong bearing on attitudes of masculinity and control. Economic stress was also one of the reasons behind violent behaviour; so was alcohol or substance abuse, poverty, women's power and relationship-conflict. Results showed that education is imperative to end violence by intimate partners."It is high time we begin to seriously think how we wish to bring up our boys and also present ourselves as adults to younger ones within the families," said Ravi Verma, regional director of the ICRW (Asia). "It identifies triggers that could enable them to become change agents in addressing gender discrimination," said UNFPA India head, Frederika Meijer.11 Nov 14The Telegraph

Men don’t cry, women feel painNew Delhi, Nov. 10: When Amitabh Bachchan said “men feel no pain” in the 1985 Bollywood movie Mard, he was expressing an attitude that still dominates Indian society, a survey has found.Toughness is the essence of manliness to 93 per cent of Indian men and, perhaps more astonishingly, 85 per cent of the women, reveals the study by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the America-based International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW).The study’s aim was to explore how the average Indian male’s understanding of the idea of “masculinity” shapes his interactions with women, leads to the beating of wives and girlfriends, and increases his desire for sons rather than daughters.Touring seven states and interviewing about 9,000 men and 3,000 women, the researchers found that some 50 to 60 per cent women faced physical violence in their relationships. (See chart)One long-held notion whose prevalence the study confirmed was straight out of the Marddialogue: manly men don’t cry.Some 77 per cent of the women interviewed agreed with “When my partner wants sex he expects me to agree” and 54 per cent with “If I asked my partner to use a condom he would be angry”.GopaBharadwaj, who taught the psychology of gender at Delhi University, asserted that there was nothing “natural” about the myth around masculinity that she said was linked to son preference.“These data confirm a deep-rooted myth, a social construct that is now being perpetuated by popular culture — television, films and even children’s fairytales,” she said.“This is imprinted in the minds of males as children, and women too accept this myth as unquestionable fact.”The study links childhood environment to partner violence: men raised by parents who shared the decision-making are 1.4 times likelier to be less rigid and more equitable than those from families where men made the decisions.“It’s high time we began thinking seriously about how we wanted to bring up our boys and how we presented ourselves as adults before the younger ones in our families,” said Ravi Verma, regional director, ICRW-Asia.Frederika Meijer, UNFPA India representative, agreed that “childhood experiences” were key to upholding or rejecting the myth about masculinity.“Childhood experiences are significant contributing factors behind men using violence. This research identifies triggers that could enable them to become change agents in addressing gender discrimination,” she said.